


Mesmerising

by bigblueboxat221b



Series: How Does Your Marriage Work? [17]
Category: Come From Away - Sankoff & Hein
Genre: F/M, In Gander, Misunderstanding, Nick POV, Screech In, awkward conversation, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 01:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20770247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/bigblueboxat221b
Summary: When Nick decides not to take part in the screech in, things go in a direction he wasn't entirely anticipating.





	Mesmerising

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is not RPF  
While Nick and Diane in the musical are based on real people, this story is set strictly in the fictional representation of them in the musical, ‘Come From Away’. I haven’t done any research into their personal lives, and anything further than what is canon in the musical is completely made up, with the exception of some geographical details. This is not intended to represent the real life couple in any way, their thoughts, attitudes or actions. It’s just my brain saying, ‘what if?’, as it does to every story that resonates with me.

She was mesmerising.

Diane was vivacious, laughing and singing along with the karaoke with a freedom Nick hadn’t seen in their time in Gander. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. True to his nature, he was more reserved, content to sit near the back and watch the room. Actually, if he was being honest with himself, he was watching Diane. The rest of the room was irrelevant. Since their first meeting on the plane and then the bus, when he’d been the epitome of the awkward Englishman and she’d been so gracious, Nick had been enchanted by her. Finding out she had a son flying and not a husband – no husband at all, actually – he’d felt himself more and more drawn to her, and he entertained the tentative possibility she might enjoy his company as well.

And now they were here, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Astonishingly, her eyes sought out his often, smiling at him, trying to convince him to join her. Her hands were warm when she took his, cajoling him to come over to where both Kevins (Kevin T and Kevin J, Nick was pretty sure) were trying to keep up with some locals as they danced. Nick declined, citing his lack of singing voice, and then discomfort with dancing in public. She shrugged, still smiling, returning to join the more enthusiastic of the two Kevins (Kevin T, Nick thought) as they tried to master the fast paced Irish rhythm.

Nick shifted restlessly, glancing around the rest of the room, his eyes pulled back almost immediately to Diane and now just one Kevin dancing with the locals. A ribbon of something uncomfortable curled in his belly. It intensified when Kevin T slung his arm around Diane’s shoulder, laughing helplessly as he almost tripped over his own feet, and Nick could finally identify it.

He was envious.

Kevin T obviously wasn’t a threat; he was openly gay and his boyfriend was standing right there, looking as upset with the scene as Nick was beginning to feel. But Nick wanted to be that person, comfortable enough to try something at which he would probably fail in front of people he didn’t know. He wanted Diane to wrap her arm around _him_, look up at _him_ with that expression, laugh along as _he_ tripped over and didn’t cringe with embarrassment.

Bizarrely, his English professor’s voice sounded through his head. “It’s simple, Nicholas. Jealously is the fear of something being taken from you. Envy is the desire for something someone else possesses.”

Musing on that, Nick wondered if he could consider himself jealous. Could he be upset that Kevin T was enjoying dancing with Diane when he’d been offered the same and declined? It had hardly been taken from him, and yet he felt its absence keenly. Tipping up his beer, Nick realised it was empty. Did he want another beer? It might not be a good idea, given how his mood had turned.

“Hello!” Diane had appeared in front of him again, and he had to blink to bring himself back to the Legion Hall. She was flushed, her smile wide and eyes bright with the exertion of dancing. “Are you sure you don’t want to dance?”

Nick hesitated, still scanning her face, drinking in her joy. He felt his face break into a smile in response. Putting his empty bottle down, he took a breath to accept, when the music stopped and someone called out over the crowd, “I’m gonna need some volunteers!”

Diane looked across then glanced back at Nick, eyes wide with mischief. Immediately he felt alarm rising in him. They watched as one man volunteered, and Diane gave a shriek of excitement when Kevin T volunteered. Nick could see the two Kevins talking about something – they seemed to be arguing – before Kevin T joined the group of volunteers.

“Who else?” the master of ceremonies asked. “Who wants to be a Newfoundlander?”

Nick felt a hand sneak into his, and his eyes grew wide as he looked at Diane. She was practically vibrating with excitement and Nick knew immediately what she was thinking.

“Oh, no,” he said, shaking his head. “Do you even know what he’s going to do?”

“No,” Diane said, as though it didn’t even matter. “Come on!”

“I don’t think so,” Nick said, feeling torn. He wanted to join her, to stay close to this amazing energy she was exuding this evening…but the uncertainty of what she was suggesting along with the audience made him shy away.

“You sure?” she said, and he wondered if the disappointment he heard and saw was in his mind. Before he could decide, she shrugged and left him, throwing her arms in the air and joining Kevin instead.

Cursing his own hesitance, Nick watched Diane speak to the master of ceremonies. They seemed to be talking about him, he thought, but they moved on. Diane was beaming, she and Kevin T nudging each other at the ridiculous hats and exaggerated story of the liquor known as screech. Nick felt the ribbon of envy (jealousy?) twist as he watched them drinking, wanting to smile at Diane’s obvious enjoyment but unable to fully enjoy it. He was just debating whether he should leave – Kevin J looked as though he would prefer to be anywhere but here – when it became clear the volunteers would be expected to kiss a fish.

Diane looked appalled, leaning into Kevin T in disbelief, screwing up her nose at the idea. Nick wanted to leave, something telling him to stay instead. He watched the others kiss the fish, Kevin T doing it despite his boyfriend’s ultimatum. When it came to Diane, she looked somewhere between disgusted and curious.

“I can’t do it!” she said finally, her voice anguished.

Kevin was nudging her, obviously egging her on, and the master of ceremonies waggled the fish close to her face again, but she looked like she might pass out. To Nick’s surprise, she sought out his eyes. He felt his eyes widen as she screwed up her nose in his direction, and he smiled despite himself. From so far away it was difficult to communicate, but he raised his eyebrows questioningly anyway. Kevin T was still nudging her, speaking into her ear, now.

She shook her head once more, and Nick heard something he was sure couldn’t be right.

The master of ceremonies called, “Well, look, I’ll make you a deal. Either you kiss this fish, or you kiss this fella you’re not married to.” He indicated Kevin T, who was almost doubled over with laughter at this point.

Diane hesitated, meeting Nick’s eyes again.

Time stopped, and Nick wondered what she was thinking. He couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything but his heart pounding slow and painfully hard against his ribs. Was she seriously considering kissing Kevin T? The envy in him twisted faster and faster until he was almost breathless with it.

Their gaze broke as Kevin T nudged her again, and Diane glanced at him. He was holding his arms open, eyes sparkling in invitation. She flashed a glance uncertainly at Nick again, and before he could draw breath she’d turned to Kevin T, wrapping her arms theatrically around his neck before planting a kiss on him. The single ribbon of envy inside Nick exploded, a writhing mass bursting out and taking over through his body. He could see Kevin T’s arms around her too, and the roar of the crowd crashing over him at the sight.

Without thinking, Nick turned, pushing back through the people, seeking the cooler air outside. He had no idea why it would be better, but he couldn’t breathe inside, his lungs squashed by the envy filling him up, threatening to spill out and ruin everything. People moved, or were pushed aside and he finally felt the cool air on his face. Stumbling, he made it down the ramp, ignoring the, “You okay there, buddy?” from a local sounding voice. It seemed more important to find somewhere dark, somewhere he could pull himself together.

Out of the pool of light at the front of the Legion Hall, Nick found a bench, sinking onto it, finally able to stop concentrating on getting out of the crowd in one piece. The thumping of his heart was loud, competing with the ringing in his ears in this relatively quiet space. He closed his eyes, hoping to concentrated on his breathing, but his brain supplied images of Diane kissing Kevin instead and his heart jumped again. Would she have noticed him leaving? It was possible, given how often she’d looked to him. What would she say when they saw each other again? What would he say?

Wincing, Nick took a deep breath, holding it until he felt like his lungs would burst. He repeated it, forcing himself to control his breathing until his heart slowed down. It felt like it took forever before he could think, but even when he was able to concentrate thoughts swirled around mind without pause. How was he going to explain this to Diane without sounding ridiculous?

“Nick?”

He froze, wondering if his mind had made it up. He looked towards the Legion to see Diane speaking to one of the men Nick had passed earlier. The man was pointing in Nick’s direction, and for a moment he considered walking away before Diane could arrive. No. He was already in this awkward position, and leaving again would only compound the problem. With a deep breath, he stood up.

“I’m here,” he said, wondering if his voice would carry across the carpark. He needn’t have worried, because she turned, peering into the darkness and walking towards him. Nick stood up, meeting her in the light. “Hello,” he said.

She smiled uncertainly. “You needed some air,” she said, though there was a questioning inflection.

“Yes,” he said.

She was still looking at him, searching his face for something. “Should we sit down?”

Nick nodded, and they moved over to the steps. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “Probably not as drunk as Kevin, which helps.”

The mention of Kevin’s name made Nick stiffen. He looked down at his hands, still not sure how he was going to address this whole debacle.

“I can imagine it would,” Nick said carefully.

“Did you leave because I tried to pull you into the screech in?” Diane asked.

“No,” Nick said immediately. He winced. “You enjoyed it, though.”

She looked at him, not answering immediately. “Did you not have a good night?” she asked.

Nick felt himself flush as she got uncomfortably close to the truth. “I enjoyed watching other people,” he said, knowing he sounded like someone edging around the truth. From the look on her face, she could hear it too.

“I was worried you weren’t enjoying yourself,” Diane said with a little smile. “I had to keep checking.”

Nick nodded, unsure if he was expected to reply to this.

“Every time I looked at you,” Diane said carefully, “you were looking at me.”

“Yes,” Nick agreed. “You were obviously enjoying yourself.”

“I was,” Diane said, “but I would have enjoyed it more with you.”

Astonishment flowed through Nick, followed by guilt. “I’m sorry,” he began, but his mind stuttered to a halt when she reached for his hand.

“No,” she said, leaning closer. “That’s not what I meant.” She squeezed his hand. “I didn’t mean you should have joined in. I just meant…I wish it was something you’d have enjoyed.”

“Me too,” Nick replied. He frowned a little, wanting to explain further. “Boisterous social situations are not my forte.”

“I could see that,” Diane murmured. She smiled at him. “And you didn’t want to become a Newfoundlander?”

“What?” he said blankly.

“That’s what the screech in was for,” Diane told him. “Didn’t you hear him explain that?”

“No,” Nick said. “My mind was…wandering.”

He wondered if she was going to answer as they sat in the quiet for a long time. The music from inside the Legion was a background pulse, and Nick realised his thumb was stroking Diane’s hand in the same rhythm. It seemed strange to stop, but now that he was aware of it he could consider nothing else.

“Can I ask,” Diane asked carefully, “where your mind wandered?”

It was Nick’s turn to sit them in silence as he wondered what he should say. “I was thinking I should have joined the screech in,” he said finally, amazed at his own honesty.

“It was fun,” Diane said. “The screech was pretty awful, though.”

“Not to mention the fish,” Nick said without thinking. He clamped his mouth closed, making sure he didn’t say anything else. Anything that might pre-emptively reveal the truth.

Diane was making the face again, and it stopped Nick berating himself immediately. He felt his jaw loosen, his expression softening as he watched her. “You made that face earlier,” he said without thinking.

“You noticed,” Diane said, surprised.

“I always notice,” Nick replied. This was exhausting, he realised. They were dancing around something, and he was not going to be able to hold it in. Not when she was sitting here, holding his hand, looking at him with patient affection. “You didn’t kiss the fish,” he said.

“I couldn’t,” Diane said. She shuddered, then her smile faded as she watched Nick, and her tilted head told Nick she was thinking something new. “But Claude gave me an out.”

“I know,” Nick said. He swallowed. “I saw you…kiss Kevin.”

She smiled uncertainly. “He offered, and I knew he wouldn’t mind.”

Nick nodded. “He seems nice. I think the other Kevin might have minded, though. I think he might have…preferred Kevin was kissing him instead.” His heart beat hard, wondering if Diane would see the correlation.

Diane frowned. “I hope they’re okay.”

“He wasn’t the only one,” Nick blurted. He felt his fingers curl in on Diane’s hand but held her eyes. “I…regretted not joining the screech in even more keenly.”

Diane’s eyes widened, and Nick felt her fingers tightened as well. She smiled, and the relief confirmed that he was doing the right thing. “You did?” she asked.

“I did,” he said, and before he could censor himself again blurted, “You were enchanting this evening. I left because I regretted not joining the screech in, and I was envious of Kevin.”

He was breathing hard, not knowing how Diane would respond, still not entirely certain until Diane breathed, “thank God,” and leaned in, kissing him urgently. He didn’t pause, reached out to pull her close with shaking hands as he kissed her back, still out of breath from his earlier declaration. It was as wonderful as he’d hoped it might be, Diane matching his intensity, her fingers twisting into the front of his shirt. He could taste a hint of the liquor still on her mouth. By the time the kiss eased, Nick’s lips were tingling and blood was rushing in his ears.

“Enchanting?” Diane asked, smiling at him. “So English.”

“You were,” he murmured, the relief at being able to admit it like a weight off his shoulders. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

“I hoped so,” Diane said. “Kevin kept telling me you were keen but I wasn’t sure.”

Nick shrugged, leaning in to kiss her again. “English,” he explained in between kissing her. “Stiff upper lip and all that.”

She smiled into his kiss, wrapping her arms tighter to pull him close again. “Still waters or something, right?”

“Something like that,” he replied, and his heart leaped as she kissed him again.


End file.
